


3 Problems

by deaddpoetts



Category: House M.D.
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29571990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deaddpoetts/pseuds/deaddpoetts
Summary: Ashleigh House worked on her brothers team at Princeton Plains-Borough Hospital. She was the House sibling who was the less annoying one. Ashleigh was the normal sibling. Ashleigh and House had a good brother and sister relationship their whole life, no matter how annoying he was.Seeing as Ashleigh worked with her brother every day, that meant she had to see James Wilson every day. James was House's best friend and only friend. Which meant he was also Ashleigh's friend. Ashleigh did have an attraction to James for a longest time but of course, he was oblivious to it. There were three problems with being in love with him. One. He was older than her. Two. He was the head of Oncology. Three. He was married. That was the biggest problem. Sure, his relationship with his wife wasn't perfect but he was still taken.Ashleigh tried so hard to hide the fact she liked James. With House knowing everything, it was technically impossible to hide anything from him. Ashleigh was always there for James, even more then his wife was. She wanted him to choose her. Not his wife. Her. Although sometimes, wishes can come true.
Relationships: James Wilson/Original Female Character
Kudos: 2





	3 Problems

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story a LONG TIME AGO so there may be a lot of errors that I'm probably too lazy to fix. Thank you <3

The New Jersey air was blowing on Ashleigh House's bare legs as she was waiting for her bus to come so she could get to work. She was already 10 minutes late, she slept through almost all of her alarms, including missing the calls she got from her brother and Wilson. Ashleigh took her phone out of her pocket to check the time. It was almost 8:30am, she looked from left to right and finally saw the bus in the distance coming to her stop, but before she could put her phone back in her pocket it started ringing. Ashleigh checked the screen to see who it was, and sure enough, it was James. Silently thanking god it wasn't her brother, she answered her phone as the bus came to a stop.

"Hello?" Stepping into the bus, she smiled at the bus driver and found a seat next to a girl.

James' voice panicked. He was not okay. "Where are you?! Your brother is starting to freak out the patients because of his non-stop yelling."

She sighed. "I just got on the bus. I'm sorry. Tell him I'll be there in like, 15 minutes? At least try and calm him down until then."

"Hold on a sec, do you hear this!?" She could hear shifting through the phone as she heard her brother's voice. 'If she's not here soon, I'm going to start turning heads. So, who's first!?'

There was a sound of shuffling again, indicating James brought the phone to his ear again. "You better get here soon because I'm not dealing with a murder today."

Ashleigh laughed lightly. "Don't worry, I'm almost there. I'll see you in a bit."

She heard James' chuckle on the other side of the phone. "Alright. Fine"

Ashleigh took the phone away from her ear and hung up, putting her phone back into her pocket. "Are you late too?" A female voice came from beside Ashleigh.

She looked toward the girl beside her. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Yeah, are you as late as me?" She laughed.

"Probably. My brother's having a freak attack right about now."

"Is that who you were talking with on the phone?" Marnie pointed at the phone in her pocket.

Ashleigh blushed and cleared her throat. "No, uh, that was my brother's friend. We all work together at the same hospital, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, you've probably heard of it."

"Yeah! I have, actually. I'm Marnie." She held out her hand.

"I'm Ashleigh, it's nice to meet you." She took Marnie's hand and shook it. Before she could say anything, the bus stopped in front of the hospital. "I'm so sorry to cut this short but this is my stop. It was nice meeting you." Ashleigh stood up and looked at the girl she was sitting beside. "See you around, maybe."

"Yeah." Marnie gave Ashleigh a final smile.

Walking toward the front, she took her money and paid the bus driver, giving him a kind smile and walking out into the cold New Jersey weather. Ashleigh sped toward the doors and walked inside the warm, heated hospital, she nodded at the security guard and smiled.

Ashleigh passed the front desk and walked into the main hallway, without paying attention to where she was going, someone stood in front of her, blocking her way. Looking down she saw the familiar cane of her brother, slowly looking up she stared into his unsettling calm gaze, then looked beside him, seeing James with a sheepish smile. "You're late."

"I know! I'm sorry! I slept through all my alarms including all of your calls." She pointed at James. "And his. Then, I had to wait for my bus and the-"

House held up his hand, silencing his sister. "It's fine, just don't be late tomorrow."

Ashleigh nodded, House turned around and started walking, her and James looked at each other, shrugging. They started walking with him as soon as they caught up. James decided to speak up, filling Ashleigh in on a new patient. "So, a 29-year-old female. First seizure one month ago, lost the ability to speak. Babbled like a baby. Present deterioration."

Ashleigh nodded as a thank you to James. More people started staring at House while he was walking, mostly at his leg and his cane. "See that? They all assume I'm a patient because of this cane."

James spoke up while looking where he was walking. "So, put on a white coat like the rest of us."

"Well, you see Wilson, he doesn't want to because he thinks he's special." Ashleigh and James shared a look, both chuckling.

House rolled his eyes. "I am special, excuse you. I don't want them to think I'm a doctor."

"You see where the administration might have a problem with that attitude." Yes, James was right. House had a lot of pent up negative attitude.

House sighed. "People don't want a sick doctor."

Ashleigh rolled her eyes at her brothers negative thought. "Greg, it doesn't matter if you're a "sick doctor." You're the best damn doctor at this hospital. No offence, Jim."

James let out a laugh, reaching his hand out to point at Ashleigh. "None taken. But, fair enough. I don't like healthy patients. The 29-year-old female-"

"The one who can't talk, I liked that part."

Ashleigh slapped her brother on the arm. "Be nice, G."

"Thank you." James pointed at Ashleigh. "She's my cousin." James directed this at House.

"And your cousin doesn't like the diagnosis. I wouldn't either. Brain tumor, she's gonna die, boring."

"Greg! Stop being such an ass, that's his family you're talking about."

James shook his head. "No wonder you're such a renowned diagnostician. You don't need to actually know anything to figure out what's wrong."

"You're the oncologist; I'm just a lowly infectious disease guy." House scoffed. It was true enough. Too true. Ashleigh wanted to laugh.

"But better yet, he's the head oncologist." James looked toward the brown-haired girl with a smirk on his face, which made her heart flutter and her face beet red.

"Yes, just a simple country doctor. Brain tumors at her age are highly unlikely." House rolled his eyes.

Ashleigh looked pointedly at the two. "True, but that doesn't mean it can't happen, you know that."

"She's 29. Whatever she's got is highly unlikely."

"Yeesh, both of you are doctors and seem to think that nothing like brain tumors can happen in 29-year-old females." Ashleigh snorted. "Anyway, getting back on topic. Protein markers for the three most prevalent brain cancers came up negative?"

"That's an HMO lab; you might as well have sent it to a high school kid with a chemistry set." James sighed.

Ashleigh looked toward James. "How about any family history, maybe her great-great-grandmother had brain cancer or something."

"Nope, she has no family history."

House squinted at James. "I thought your uncle died of cancer?"

"Yeah, but that's the other side of his family." Ashleigh looked pointedly at her brother.

"She's right. No environmental factors."

"That you know of."

"And she's not responding to radiation treatment."

"None of which is even close to dispositive. All it does raise is one question. Your cousin goes to an HMO?"

James raised his arms in the air. "Come on! Why leave all the fun for the coroner? What's the point of putting together a team, including your very smart and genius sister, if you're not going to use them? You've got four overqualified doctors working for you. Getting bored."

"You know what I've realized? You spend too much time with my brother. It's scary" Ashleigh snorted.

"Ahhh, but you don't piss me off easily, he does." House sarcastically smiled at James, walking away.

"Well, let's go and work. I'll see you at lunch?"

James smiled. "Yup, have fun!"

Ashleigh turned around and walked backwards. "I plan to." She winked at him and spun on her heel, walking forwards.

♥

Ashleigh made her way through the hospital until she got to the Diagnostics Department, through the glass she saw her brother, Cameron, Foreman, and Chase, she opened the door as all of them looked towards her and smiled. "Hey! It's the likable House sibling."

Ashleigh shook her head and looked over at Foreman. "Hardy har har, you're so funny." Taking her jacket off, she put it on her chair near her desk, as well as taking her phone out and putting it in her pocket. Ashleigh wore her white doctor's jacket over her turtleneck sweater and a jean skirt that was just above her knees.

"Ouuu, why do you look so fancy?" Ashleigh turned around and looked toward Allison, her face holding a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Ashleigh frowned, confused.

"You never look this nice. It's usually just jeans, and a simple top."

"Do I need to have a reason to dress nice?" Ashleigh shook her head, shrugging.

"Actually, yes, you do." House answered. Everyone looked toward House as he was looking at an MRI of their patient's head. "You're dressing nicely for Wilson, seeing as you're having lunch with him. You thought dressing nicely would put his focus on you, but you're kinda just trying too hard."

House trailed off, the room got silent very quickly, Ashleigh's eyes widened and she looked toward her brother. "Seriously? Why are you such a dick?"

He put down the MRI and looked toward his sister. "What? I was just pointing out the obvious."

"No, you were being a dick, so what? Who cares if I'm dressing up for him, maybe I am, it's not really any of your business. Excuse me." Ashleigh quickly opened the large glass door and walked right out of the office, not knowing where she really wanted to go, she somehow made it to the clinic and walked inside. Many nurses were working and walking around doing what they needed to do, she avoided the people who almost bumped into her.

Ashleigh spotted James talking to a nurse and walked over to him, she cleared her throat. "Hey, sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Yeah, sure, what's up?" James looked away from the nurse who was very obviously flirting with him. At least it looked that way.

Before she spoke up again, Ashleigh noticed the nurse still near them, she looked over at her. "Sorry, but could you not be here right now?"

The nurse looked up at James for clarification, he nodded at her and she walked away. Looking back down at Ashleigh, James shined his wonderful smile. "What's wrong? Usually you're not this scary. That nurse probably just had a heart attack because of you."

"I need to vent. House pissed me off." Ashleigh groaned.

"Ah, do you want to do this in my office?"

She nodded. "Yes, please"

"Alright, let's go." Ashleigh followed behind James as he led her to his office, he opened the door and let her in first. "After you."

"Thank you." Ashleigh passed by James to walk into his office.

Ashleigh looked around before she sat down on the couch, James sitting beside her. "Alright, vent away, my lady."

"So, I got into the office today. I go and take my jacket off, and of course, Allison was curious as to why I dressed so fancy today, and I asked what she meant and then she clarified that I always wear jeans and like, a simple t-shirt and I asked, 'Well, do I need a reason to dress nice?' and House has to go and voice his opinion about how I'm going to lunch with you and that I dressed like this today to get you to notice me, and then he said I was trying too hard! I mean who cares if I was dressed up like this for you to notice me. I mean it was kinda my goal but not really, and it's just really hard! He always has to question everything I do and-"

"Okay, calm down." James put his hands up. "Take a breath, I understand. But, d-did you dress like this for me?" A small smile crept up on James' face at what she said.

"No! I-I mean maybe." Ashleigh shook her head rapidly, denying what was really the truth. "I mean no! I didn't. I dressed like this for myself. I'm sorry, I'm just really frustrated right now." Ashleigh blasted up from the couch, pacing.

"Hey, it's okay, like I said, I understand, completely. I know how much of a pain your brother can be."

Ashleigh sighed. "Yeah, but you haven't dealt with him your whole life, I have. At least I don't have to live in the same apartment as him. I'd probably kill him."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that would be a better option than having to deal with him every day." James stared at the wall, thinking. Ashleigh's loud voice interrupted his thinking.

"You're supposed to be helping me! Not making things more annoying!" Ashleigh frowned while putting her hands on her hips.

"Right. Look, just go back there, they probably need that amazing brain of yours, and if you ever need a break, you're always free to come into my office and rant to me all you want."

Ashleigh nodded with a smile. "Ugh, fine, thank you. Are you sure you can take my annoying ranting?"

"I'm pretty sure." James smiled at her reassuringly with a nod

Sighing and nodding, Ashleigh got up from the couch as she looked down at James with a smile, she put her hand in front of him as he held it in his own. "You're a good friend. I hope you know that."

"How you flatter me so." James chuckled and shook his head. "You should get back."

"Yeah." She sighed. "I should." Ashleigh let go of his hand and walked to the door of his office, turning her head to look over her shoulder, she gave him a small smile before walking out.

♥

Ashleigh ended back up at the Diagnostics Department, taking a breath, she opened the door and walked in. House looked toward her and gave her a small smile, without smiling back, she sat down in the seat beside Cameron, listening to their conversation, which turned out to be more of a fighting match between Foreman and her brother. "Isn't treating patients why we became doctors?"

"No, treating illnesses is why we became doctors."

Foreman rolled his eyes. "So you're trying to eliminate the humanity from the practice of medicine."

"If we don't talk to them they can't lie to us, and we can't lie to them. Humanity is overrated. I don't think it's a tumor."

"First year of medical school if you hear hoofbeats you think "horses", not zebras."

"Are you in first year of medical school? No. First of all, there's nothing on the CAT scan. Second of all, if this is a horse then the kindly family doctor in Trenton makes the obvious diagnosis and it never gets near this office. Differential diagnosis, people: if it's not a tumor what are the suspects? Why couldn't she talk?"

Ashleigh spoke up. "Guys, let's just calm down and talk to each other like adults. It could be because of an Aneurysm, o-or a stroke, or some other ischemic syndrome, have you not at least thought about it?"

House pointed at his sister. "Get her a contrast MRI."

"Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?"

Chase looked over at House. "Mad Cow?"

Ashleigh frowned at her older brother. "Wernicke's encephalopathy?"

House shook his head at Ashleigh. "No, blood thiamine level was normal."

"Lab in Trenton could have screwed up the blood test. I assume it's a corollary if people lie, that people screw up."

"Redraw the blood tests. And get her scheduled for that contrast MRI ASAP. Let's find out what kind of zebra we're dealing with here." Everyone got up from their seats and went to do what they had to. Ashleigh went with Chase, Cameron, and Foreman to get the patient for her blood test.

♥

After getting the patient, whose name turned out to be Rebecca, after Chase told her. They made their way to the MRI room, while wheeling Rebecca in a wheelchair. Rebecca looked up at Ashleigh. "You're not my doctor. Are you Dr. House?"

Ashleigh smiled at Rebecca, sweetly. "I am a Dr. House, but not the one you're wanting. You're probably thinking of my brother."

"He's your brother?" Rebecca's eyes widened. She sounded surprised and excited.

Ashleigh sighed. "Yeah, unfortunately. But he's the head of diagnostic medicine. He's busy but he is taking interest in your case."

Finally arriving at the MRI, they helped Rebecca get out of the wheelchair and onto the MRI table. Foreman helped her understand what was going on. "We inject gadolinium into a vein. It distributes itself throughout your brain and acts as a contrast material for the magnetic resonance imagery."

Cameron saw the look of confusion on Rebecca's face and decided to explain it better. "Basically, whatever's in your head, lights up like a Christmas tree."

"It might make you feel light-headed."

Before they could continue, a nurse walked into the room, cutting them off from what they were doing. "Dr. Cameron, I'm sorry I have to stop you, there's a problem."

Cameron, Chase, Foreman, and Ashleigh looked at each other and back to the nurse, understanding, they nodded with slight fright in their eyes. Leaving Rebecca with the nurse, four of them walked out of the MRI room, they met with Wilson outside of Cuddy's office, finding out that Cuddy pulled House's authorization. House walked out of her office with relief in his eyes. "Do the MRI, she folded."

Chase, Cameron, and Foreman walked away, Ashleigh staying behind with House and Wilson, just to hear what House had to say next. "I've gotta do four hours a week in this clinic until I make up the time I've missed. 2054." House clarified. "I'll be caught up in 2054. You better love this cousin a whole lot."

House finally walked into the clinic leaving James and Ashleigh outside, they looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, going their separate ways.

♥

Ashleigh got back to the MRI room just in time. Rebecca was already in the MRI machine. Going inside behind the glass, Ashleigh stood beside Cameron. "All right Rebecca, we know you may feel slightly claustrophobic in there, but we need you to remain still."

Chase nodded. "Okay, we're ready to begin."

Cameron started up the MRI machine, it made a weird noise that Ashleigh would never get used to, it was always scary. They heard Rebecca feeling a lot of discomfort. "I don't feel so good."

Chase spoke out to her in the speaker. "It's alright. Just try and relax."

Hearing Rebecca starts to choke, Ashleigh started to worry. "Ah, she probably fell asleep; she's exhausted."

Ashleigh's eyes widened. "No, she's not sleeping. There's something very wrong, we have to get her out of there, guys!"

"It'll just be another minute."

"Chase, are you kidding me? She's having an allergic reaction to the gadolinium!" Ashleigh quickly ran out of the booth with everyone following out behind her. "Okay, hold her neck."

"Oh, she's ashen."

"She's not breathing. Epi point five." Realizing the Epi wasn't working, Ashleigh started to stress. "Come on, I can't ventilate."

"Too much edema, where's the surgical airway kit?" Chase ran to get the airway kit, as he came back he gave it to Ashleigh, she took the scalpel and cut Rebecca's neck slightly. Ashleigh took the tube and put it in her throat while getting an Ambu bag and putting it on the other end, squeezing to get air into Rebecca.

"Good call." Chase clapped Ashleigh on the back, she looked back quickly giving him a small smile, and focused again on Rebecca and helping her breathe. She let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

♥

Rebecca was in her hospital bed, resting as the doctors surrounded her. "We'll get that tube out of your throat later today."

Ashleigh nodded. "Just get some rest for now."

They walked back into the hallway, spotting House, they walked over to him. "Told you, can't trust people"

Ashleigh rolled her eyes at her brother. "She probably knew she was allergic to gadolinium, figured it was an easy way to get someone to cut a hole in her throat, and that someone was me."

"Can't get a picture, gonna have to get a thousand words."

"You actually want me to talk to the patient? Get a history?" Foreman spoke up.

House nodded to Foreman, it was a good idea. "We need to know if there are some genetic or environmental causes triggering an inflammatory response."

"I thought everybody lied?"

"Truth begins in lies. Think about it."

Foreman shook his head. "That doesn't mean anything, does it?"

Without answering, House walked away. Ashleigh looked over at Foreman and he looked at her. "Wanna talk to her with me?"

Ashleigh checked her watch, it was her lunch break, most importantly, it was with James. She gasped in fake shock. "You know, I wish. But I just remembered I had to go have lunch with Wilson, bye!"

Turning on her heel she walked away from Foreman and started walking to the cafeteria. Passing by a couple of nurses she smiled at them with them smiling back, the caf was very busy, filled with people and doctors. Ashleigh took a tray and started picking what she wanted to eat, she made it to the cash register. Before she could pull any money out, there was a voice behind her.

"I'll pay for her's, as well as mine." James ended up beside her, paying for her food, like the gentleman he was.

"You didn't have to do that."

James nodded. "I know."

Ashleigh looked down with a blush, guiding James to the table that she normally sat at during lunch. What a gentleman.


End file.
